HOLLAND, MI – When Oliver Emerson was 2, his favorite word was “Happy.” He would stop in the middle of play, stand up, smile and announce it to the world: “Happy!”

That happy, joyful spirit stayed with him, inspiring countless friends, family members and strangers, even as Oliver battled cancer for nearly three years.

Oliver died Tuesday, May 7, at the age of 6, leaving behind his parents, two older brothers, a sister, and a wide network of friends in Holland and at Hope College, where his dad works.

“We will miss him horribly, but we are also trying to focus on what we did have,” said Derek Emerson, an events director at Hope.

Oliver was a bright, outgoing, talkative boy who loved Legos and Pokemon.

“You’d bring him into a room, and he would be talking right away,” his dad said. “Maybe that’s why he connected with so many people.”

A favorite photo shows Oliver meeting Miss America, Laura Kaeppeler, when she visited Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in March 2012. Kaeppeler has her head thrown back in laughter, responding to Oliver’s string of jokes and antics.

Emerson and his wife, Mary Ann Permasang, adopted Oliver as an infant. The couple also has three older children, Gray, 26, Maria, 24, and Dov, 13.

When he was 4, Oliver was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the peripheral nervous system. The cancer was in stage four, and his parents were told he had a 50 percent chance of survival.

Oliver went through the rigorous treatment of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and a bone marrow transplant. The cancer went into remission twice, only to relapse both times.

Through it all, he kept a positive attitude, rarely complaining and always willing to try a treatment in hopes it would make him better. He was unable to attend kindergarten, but he grew so attached to the staff at DeVos Children’s that he said, “They are like my family.”

Oliver took part in an experimental program through DeVos Children’s and Van Andel Institute. He received two treatments aimed at defeating the cancer while maintaining quality of life. Although ultimately they did not result in a cure, Emerson said he thinks Oliver gained an extra 12 to 18 months of life.

That allowed him to celebrate his 6th birthday on June 22, 2012. Friends of the family arranged a surprise visit to Toys R Us with help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As a limousine drove Oliver to the store, 1,500 people lined the streets and cheered.

“Last summer was a wonderful summer for us,” Emerson said. “That whole summer was kind of like that day.”

A month ago, the doctor told the family the last available treatment was not working. Oliver understood what that meant.

“He has known from the beginning that his life was at stake,” Emerson said. “We’ve always been positive, but never been flippant about it – it’s a deadly disease.”

But what struck Emerson was his son’s reaction. He didn’t cry until the doctor said he didn’t have to come back to the hospital any more. The boy who had endured nearly three years of medical treatments couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing the nurses, doctors and staff members who had cared for him. He was comforted only when he was told he could come back for visits.

As he talked about his youngest son, Emerson recalled the circumstances that led to his adoption. He and his wife had two school-age children when they decided to bring two more children into their family. They adopted Dov as a baby and expected to adopt another child soon afterward.

Because of complications with the adoption process, they waited seven years before they were able to adopt Oliver. Given what his son had to face, Emerson was glad for that delayed timing, so they could be the ones to care for him.

“If we had to do it all over again, knowing how it would turn out, we wouldn’t hesitate,” Emerson said. “We just enjoyed so much what we had with him.”

He knows many people at work and in the community share their sorrow. The family has received countless gifts – prayers, meals, even the renovation of their home to accommodate Oliver’s needs.

“I don’t know how we would have done this without that support,” he said.